Business administrator: Medicaid revenue shortfall, breakfast expansion, audit clean bill; board approves consent items

Business Administrator Lisa Brocchio reported to the Bedford School Board on April 14 that federal Medicaid reimbursements continue to lag initial budget projections while local and certain state revenues are ahead of expectations.

Medicaid and state revenues: Brocchio said the district has seen both a drop in students qualifying for Medicaid‑reimbursable services and changes in state diagnostic coding that reduced some allowable claims; the packet reflected an additional $10,000 received since publication but the overall Medicaid line remains below original budget expectations. Brocchio also reported a modest, unexpected payment tied to the state’s education freedom phase‑out; the packet showed a general‑fund figure listed as approximately $2,834,303.

Food service and breakfast: The district expanded breakfast access at elementary schools and reported higher participation; Brocchio said food‑service encumbrances were being reduced by roughly $40,000 as purchase orders were adjusted, and current projections show a program‑level loss in the range of $15,000–$20,000 that includes the breakfast expansion. The district is considering charging for adult meals and said it will track portioning and pricing for the fall.

Special education and transportation: Special‑education contracted services remain a significant expenditure (presenter noted roughly $689,000 in contracted services), but Brocchio said contracted personnel savings and vacancy management had improved net special‑education spending. The board discussed McKinney‑Vento transportation cases (transporting students who have lost stable housing) and how districts split costs when students remain enrolled across district lines.

Audit: The district’s external audit was presented as favorable; auditors issued an unmodified opinion and reported no material weaknesses in internal control. Administration said all funds (including student activities, grants and food service) were audited and that the audit work began in the fall and completed in March.

Enrollment and discipline: The superintendent reported modest enrollment shifts (K–8 up, grades 9–12 down, net +8 students) and a busy month for discipline that included in‑school suspensions across the high school and middle schools and a smaller number of out‑of‑school suspensions. The packet listed detailed counts (for March: 18 in‑school suspension incidents totaling 19 days; three out‑of‑school incidents totaling five days) and a higher number of Saturday‑school incidents.

Facilities and revenue opportunities: Administrators said the district is developing a structured fee and package approach for theater rentals and improving an online facilities portal to increase outside use revenue. The district also announced an anonymous $7,500 donation to fund an incoming‑freshmen adventure program; the board acknowledged and accepted the donation for the planned September program.

Votes at a glance: The board approved routine consent items by voice vote during the meeting (manifest acceptance, approval of draft minutes, staff nomination) and moved into a nonpublic, student‑privacy session under RSA 91‑A:3,II(c) before adjourning public session. Specific motions were recorded on the audio/transcript as "moved/seconded" with unanimous voice approval; no recorded roll‑call tallies with individual names were entered in the public transcript.

Next steps: Administration will continue to monitor Medicaid reimbursement coding and claim opportunities, refine food‑service encumbrances, pursue new facilities‑use revenue options, and return policy revisions for second reads.